Top Items:
Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:
Newt expands South Carolina lead — Newt Gingrich heads into South Carolina election day as the clear front runner in the state: he's now polling at 37% to 28% for Mitt Romney, 16% for Rick Santorum, and 14% for Ron Paul. — Gingrich's lead has actually increased in the wake of his ex-wife's controversial interview with ABC.
Discussion:
Gretawire, Don Surber, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Mashable!, Christian Science Monitor, Yahoo! News, today.yougov.com News, American Spectator, Scared Monkeys, Political Insider, Telegraph, Daily Kos, New York Times, Hot Air, Ricochet Conversations Feed, The Reaction, ABCNEWS, M.JOSEPH SHEPPARD'S …, Guardian, Clemson University and Gallup
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Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:
Gingrich Is Well-Positioned as South Carolina Votes — Newt Gingrich, who had trailed Mitt Romney by a double-digit margin in South Carolina in several polls conducted just after the New Hampshire primary, may instead be headed to a big victory there, recent polling suggests.
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No Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich Throw Down at Tommy's Ham House — ABC News' Emily Friedman and Elicia Dover report: — GREENVILLE, S.C. - It was the Ham House showdown that wasn't. — Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich didn't cross paths this morning at Tommy's Ham House in Greenville …
Discussion:
National Review
Niall Stanage / The Hill:
Doubts creep in as an awkward Mitt Romney tries not to lose the GOP nod — What's wrong with Mitt Romney? — In the early stages of this cycle's Republican nominating process, the former Massachusetts governor seemed confident and sure-footed. Now he seems awkward and defensive.
Discussion:
Riehl World View and Pundit & Pundette
Ross Douthat:
The Momentum of Ideas — During last night's Republican debate, the candidates were asked to name something from the campaign that they would have done differently. Here was Newt Gingrich's answer: … I have, for my sins, watched Gingrich make his pitch across what feels …
Discussion:
americanthinker.com, National Review, Rod Dreher, American Spectator, Swampland, The Atlantic Online and Wake up America
Cameron Joseph / Ballot Box:
Romney demands Gingrich release contract for Freddie Mac work — GREENVILLE, S.C. — Mitt Romney called on Newt Gingrich to release all correspondence he'd had with mortgage giant Freddie Mac on Saturday morning, the day of South Carolina's primary, while meeting with supporters at his Upstate South Carolina campaign headquarters.
Discussion:
CNN
Jon Ward / The Huffington Post:
Mitt Romney Campaign Begins Preparing For Possible South Carolina Loss
Maggie Haberman / The Politico:
Santorum now the Iowa winner, officially
Santorum now the Iowa winner, officially
Discussion:
CNN, The Iowa Republican, Taegan Goddard's …, The Other McCain, Telegraph, Politics and The Lonely Conservative
Mark Blumenthal / The Huffington Post:
Newt Gingrich Surges In South Carolina, But Expect The Unexpected
Newt Gingrich Surges In South Carolina, But Expect The Unexpected
Dr. Keith Ablow / Fox News:
Newt Gingrich's three marriages mean he might make a strong president — really
Newt Gingrich's three marriages mean he might make a strong president — really
Trip Gabriel / New York Times:
A Test for Gingrich as Political Strategist
A Test for Gingrich as Political Strategist
Discussion:
The Caucus and TalkLeft
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The New American Divide — The ideal of an ‘American way of life’ is fading as the working class falls further away from institutions like marriage and religion and the upper class becomes more isolated. Charles Murray on what's cleaving America, and why. — America is coming apart.
Discussion:
Eunomia, pandagon.net and Ricochet Conversations Feed
Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:
Obama Averages 44% Approval in 3rd Year — Averaged 43% job approval in most recent quarter in office — PRINCETON, NJ — President Barack Obama averaged 44% job approval for his third full year in office, which ended Jan. 19. His third-year average is down slightly from his second-year average …
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, Don Surber and Campaign 2012
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Ron Edmonds / Investor's Business Daily:
Exactly 3 years in, Obama's job approval hits lowest level yet — Exactly three years after Aretha Franklin's hat launched the Obama administration, the Democrat's annual job approval rating has sunk to his lowest level. — That's not normally a good sign after 1,095 days in office. But who's counting?
Discussion:
The Lonely Conservative
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Blacks Face Bias in Bankruptcy, Study Suggests — Blacks are about twice as likely as whites to wind up in the more onerous and costly form of consumer bankruptcy as they try to dig out from their debts, a new study has found. — The disparity persisted even when the researchers adjusted for income …
Discussion:
Economist's View and Prairie Weather
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Jean Braucher / SSRN:
Race, Attorney Influence, and Bankruptcy Chapter Choice — University of Arizona - James E. Rogers College of Law — University of Illinois College of Law — forthcoming in Journal of Empirical Legal Studies — Abstract: — We report on racially disparate uses of chapter 13 bankruptcy.
Mortimer B. Zuckerman / US News:
Barack Obama's Middle East Miscalculation — In Egypt, we are witnessing the democratic election of a dictatorship — A little-noticed event gives a grim insight into what is really happening in the Middle East. The euphoria of the “Arab Spring,” the instant Twitter-style transition …
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway
Matt Gertz / Media Matters for America:
Huckabee Wants To Know If Obama Got College Loans “As A Foreign Student” — During a Fox News appearance this evening, Mike Huckabee suggested that Mitt Romney, who has come under fire for refusing to immediately release his tax returns, respond by challenging President Obama to release …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly and The Raw Story
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Former Obama Staffer Busted for Stealing Iowa Secretary of State's Identity — Barack Obama's 2008 Iowa New Media Director was arrested Friday for attempting to use the identities of Secretary of State Matt Schultz, and/or his brother Thomas, with the intent to falsely implicate the Secretary Schultz in illegal or unethical behavior.
Discussion:
Hot Air, Des Moines Register, RedState and The Gateway Pundit
Brendan Sasso / The Hill:
Consumer group accuses Hollywood of ‘threatening politicians’ — Consumer group Public Knowledge on Friday accused the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and its head, former Sen. Chris Dodd, of trying to intimidate lawmakers into supporting a pair of controversial anti-piracy bills.
Discussion:
Patterico's Pontifications, RedState and Techdirt, more at Mediagazer »
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Our Mr. Brooks Climbs The Romney Family Tree — The applause came from deep in the plush leather armchairs gathered by the fireplace in the clubroom of the Premature Fogies Club. It was warm and sustaining, as was the morning brandy. People touched the patches on his master's blazer as he walked by.
Discussion:
Rod Dreher, The Moderate Voice, Eunomia and New York Times
Emily Goodin / Ballot Box:
Florida debate uncertain without Romney commitment — Mitt Romney's campaign has not said they are committed to Monday night's Republican debate in Tampa, Fla., leading to speculation the former governor will not be participating. — NBC News has not canceled the event but a statement …
Discussion:
CNN, www2.tbo.com and Pat Dollard
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